What could be interpreted as tactics on the part of state prosecutors in the ongoing trial of former government officials facing economic related charges, went down at the Criminal Court “C” on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, after they failed to produce the evidence against the accused persons.
Following the recusal of Criminal Court “C” Judge A. Blamo Dixon from presiding over the trial of former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and four others accused of alleged corruption, Criminal Court ‘A’ Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie took charge of the matter thus requesting government lawyers to present their evidence against the accused former officials. Judge Willie has meanwhile given government lawyers a seven-day ultimatum to turn over evidence in their possession to the defense lawyers for revision.
During the close door meeting, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie told both parties that after the evidence is turned over to the defense lawyers, there will be a pre-trial conference leading to the commencement of the trial.
The trial was expected to officially kick off yesterday, February 12, but due to the prosecution’s failure to turn over evidence to the defense lawyers, the matter was postponed to next Wednesday, February 19, 2025. On January 2, 2025, Chamber Justice Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay ordered Judge Dixon to recuse himself for being compromised following a writ of certiorari filed against him.
According to the Criminal Procedure Law Chapter 17, section 17.2 titled “Pretrial Examination of Books and Records”, the court, on motion, may direct books, papers, documents, or other things designated in a subpoena duces tecum, be produced before the court at a time prior to the trial or prior to the time when they are to be offered in evidence, may upon their production permit such books, papers, documents, or other things or portions or parts thereof to be examined and copies thereof to be made by the parties and their attorneys.
As such, discovery of evidence in a criminal trial is a compulsory requirement prior to the commencement of the trial. The former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Nynati Tuan, former Acting Justice Minister/Solicitor General, D. Moses P. Cooper, former Controller Financial Intelligence Agency, Stanley S. Ford, former Director of Financial Intelligence Agency, and Jefferson Karmoh, former National Security Advisor to former President George Weah, were indicted for the August Term Of Court with the crimes of Economic Sabotage: (Fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia Misuse of public money, property, or record; Theft and/or illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money) Theft of Property, Money Laundering, Criminal Facilitation, and Criminal Conspiracy.
On Friday December 20, 2024, former Liberia Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and the other defendants pleaded in one voice “not guilty” to their alleged corruption charges after the indictment was read to them, thereby joining issue with the state.
The ex-officials were indicted by the Liberian government in September of 2024 for allegedly stealing LD$1,055,152,540.00 billion and US$500,000.00 during their tenure at their respective positions.
The indictment was as a result of a complaint filed by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) through the Ministry of Justice against the former government officials who were arrested and Jailed on July 29, 2024.
